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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: jam · cabinet · fine · pit · file · track · ruler · chest

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fine — all right
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. file — a line of people
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. chest — a box
  10. file — a document
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. pit — in a race
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. chest — of your body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. track — a path
  19. file — a tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com